A good book can make you laugh, make you cry and keep you guessing. A great book can inspire you, help you see the world differently and—in the case of the four titles listed here—lead to powerful transformation in your personal and professional lives.
Maybe you’re feeling like something is keeping your startup from operating at its highest potential or struggling to manage your team in ways that feel effective. Perhaps you’ve had trouble setting goals and sticking with them, or you’re dealing with imposter syndrome as you attempt to pursue your passions. Or maybe you just feel… stuck! Whatever it is, these are the books to reach for when you’re ready for a radical change.
1. The 6% Club: Unlock the Secret to Achieving Any Goal and Thriving in Business and Life
By Michelle Rozen, Ph.D.
We’ll give you the bad news first: In a 2023 study, Michelle Rozen, Ph.D., found that just 6% of people who decide they want to change something in their lives succeed. Hey, change is difficult! Now, here’s the good news: The 6% Club will teach you how to become one of them.
Those who are able to stick with their changemaking goals—Rozen has dubbed them the “6% Club”—aren’t perfect people; they just have a different set of tools.
In The 6% Club, “The Change Doctor,” as Rozen is known, shares time-tested wisdom and practical steps for achieving the personal and professional goals you hope to accomplish. Her advice is practical, and her tone is upbeat and supportive, like it’s coming from an enthusiastic friend. Setting and sticking with your goals may be hard, but people can change—they just need a road map like this one that explains how to do it.
Buy it on Amazon.
2. When Grit Is Not Enough: An Entrepreneur’s Playbook for Taking Your Business to the Next Level
By Dean Guida
For an entrepreneur, grit and determination are crucial—and often, they’re the factors that help get your business past the idea stage and out into the real world. But there will come a time when you need more than toughness and a strong work ethic to propel your company forward. And that’s where Dean Guida’s When Grit Is Not Enough comes into play.
Guida, CEO and founder of the software company Infragistics, offers his advice for startups that are ready to push past the startup phase. He has a lot of experience here: Guida founded Infragistics at age 23, and it’s now a thriving multinational business, but he had to learn the hard way how to transition from a coder to a business operator.
This is a tactical playbook for entrepreneurs who are ready to level up, even against competitors who have more resources, and Guida takes a holistic approach, with advice on everything from improving leadership and increasing cooperation to planning effective meetings and using data to drive performance. You’ll learn how to push past roadblocks and unexpected challenges thanks to Guida’s insights, which will leave you feeling reinvigorated as you strategize for the future.
Buy it on Amazon.
3. Get Over Yourself: How to Lead and Delegate Effectively for More Time, More Freedom, and More Success
By Dave Kerpen
Some of us are natural-born leaders, gifted with an innate ability to command a room, lead a large team, manage people with different personalities and communication styles and, crucially, delegate effectively. And some of us… well, some of us might need Dave Kerpen’s latest book.
The bestselling author’s previous books include Likeable Social Media, a guide to harnessing the power of word-of-mouth marketing, and The Art of People, about how relationship building is the key to getting what you want. Get Over Yourself is his latest guide for entrepreneurs, small-business owners and leaders of all kinds who might find themselves struggling to delegate to employees. The heart of Kerpen’s message is this: Professional success shouldn’t have to mean personal sacrifice, and being able to delegate is critical to establishing a healthy work-life balance. It’s good for you, and it’s good for business.
Buy it on Amazon.
4. The Outsider Advantage: Because You Don’t Need to Fit in to Win
By Ciera Rogers
Today, she’s the founder and CEO of BABES, a multimillion-dollar fashion brand for curvy women, and her clothes have been worn by everyone from Kim Kardashian to Beyoncé. But Ciera Rogers didn’t start with celebrity connections and over 2 million Instagram followers. In The Outsider Advantage, Rogers’ first book, the designer and social media superstar reflects on the traumatic events of her childhood—including being kidnapped by her estranged father and living out of her mom’s car—and how those challenges became the fuel she used to launch her career.
If you’ve ever felt overlooked, underestimated or unappreciated, you’ll put this bold and bracing memoir down feeling more confident and ready to harness the power that comes with your nontraditional experiences. You’ll also feel inspired to pursue your passions, especially if you, too, are something of an outsider.
Buy it on Amazon.
Photo by fizkes/shutterstock.com
